Closures



June 3o, 1959 H. PIERSON 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

June 30, 1959 H. c. PIERsoN CLOSURES 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 31, 1955 June 30, 1959 H. Pn-:RsoN

- cLosUREs v :s sheets-sheet :5

Filed March 31, 1955 1N VEN TOR; 6.719022 United States Patent G CLOSURES Hugh C. Pierson, Minneapolis, Minn.; Bernice Pierson, administratrix of said Hugh C. Pierson, deceased Application March 31, 1955, Serial No. 498,331

6 Claims. (Cl. 160-368) This invention relates to grain doors for railroad cars `and the like, and in particular to a grain door adapted to provide an unusually snug and even engagement with the doorway of the car.

This application is a continuation-in-part application of my application Serial No. 434,731, filed June 7, 1954.

In fastening grain doors of the temporary type such yas are constructed of cardboard, a considerable gathering or bunching is generally encountered along the fastening edges due to the fact that the plane of the door becomes warped as it is maneuvered intoposition. Not only 'does this make it difficult to fasten the door, but the more 4serious'result is that areas of weakness in the door itself -are produced which are particularly susceptible to tearing vunder stress from the stored grain.

Accordingly it is an object of the invention to provide a grain door which is easily positioned for fastening, and which eliminates bunching or looseness along the fastening seams and sags or bulging in the middle.

Another object is to provide a grain door which will be. sure to be flat when applied and which will maintain a. substantially at condition during use to avoid the tearing and leakage of grain which occurs in grain doors now in use. n

Another object is to provide a reinforcing structure along the vertical marginal edges of the door which will maintain the door in snugly abutting relation tothe door frame toV prevent grain from spilling around the edges thereof.

Another object is to provide either a single or a doublepanelled grain door arrangement which will insure easy applicationk of the door which can be partially installed prior to starting filling operations and completed part way through the filling operations to provide maximum access to the ends of the cars while they are being filled. i Another object is to provide a multiple-panellcd grain door having a strong and simple overlapping 'reinforcing structure horizontally at the line of juncture between vertically spaced panels.

Yet otherA objects of the invention are to provide a `double-panelled door, each of whose panels may be pro- 'v-d'ed with upper and lower straightening and reinforcing 'flanges for use also `during positioning of the flanges for fastening, vand to prevent looseness developing in each of the panels; to provide reinforcing members asfdescribed 'which are integral with the panels themselves and may lbe'constructed in a very simple manner; to provide a grain door having exceptional resistance to stress from Ystored .grain by virtue of materials which afford rmness at desired points and resistance to warping generally, as fwell as economy of manufacture appropriate to a temporary door.

Referring now to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is aside elevational view of the upper and lower panel sections for 'a grain door according to the present invention;

Fig. v2 is a fragmentary perspective view of a grain door p 2892,49? iatented June so, 1959 according to the invention as it appears when fastened to the doorway of a storage compartment;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of upper and lower panel sections for a grain door according to the present invention adapted for use with a different embodiment thereof than the panels of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of the embodiment of the invention using the panels of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a similar view of yet another embodiment of the invention; and

Fig. 6 through Pig. 10 are enlarged and fragmentary perspective views of materials adapted for use in the grain door of the invention.

Referring now to Fig. 1, the upper and lower panel sections 1u and 12 adapted for use in a grain door according to the present invention are disclosed as they appear in one form prior to installation. The panels are preferably formed of a fiber or cardboard material, as will be more fully described hereinafter, and are provided with transversely extending straight score lines 1'4, 16, 18, 19' and 2l) spaced from the transverse edges of the panels.

The score lines thus afford marginal reinforcing flanges` 22, 24, 26 and 28 formed integrally with the central panel* portions 30 and 32 of each oi' the panels 10 and 12 and at any one or all of the fold lines the adjacent portions may' be turned at an angle to each other to form straightening; flanges which hold the panels perfectly flat against bend-y ing or warping during their application to the doorwayl of a storage compartment such as a railway car as wheny the vertical marginal portions of the panels are fastened to the sides of the compartment forming the doorway.. Thereafter the fastenings preserve this flatness and the flanges can be put to further uses as where they are eitherl returned to coplanar relationship with the central panel? portions 30 and 32 or secured at an angle thereto accord-- ing to the requirements of the invention. It will be noted that the fold line 19 divides the lower section 12 into twoi portions 32a and 32h.

The panels 10 and 12 may be cut inwardly along their respective score lines at 34, 36, 33 and 40 and 42, 44, 46 and 48 a limited predetermined distance to define mar ginal and vertically extending flaps Si), 52, 54 and 56 between each pair of cuts on each side of the said panels..

As seen in Fig. 2, for example, the flaps 50, 52, 54 and 56, in cooperation with the horizontal reinforcing ele'- ments as described, are folded as reinforcing strips once or twice into overlying relation with the respective central panel portions 30 and 32 to provide further straight-edge reinforcements at the fold against any bulging of the panel at the center. This multiple thickness also maintains the door contacting portions of the panel snugly against the doorway of the compartment. This is particularly important because in the types of grain doors currently in use, the grain has a tendency to sift around the edges of the door. The stiffness of applicants multiple-ply construction prevents this from occurring and, incidentally, reduces the degree of bulging and the like lihood of tearing in the central portions of the door itself.

The fact that the vertical margins of the door are sectional to provide upper and lower reinforcing strips also helps overcome the tendency of unitary side paneling of freight cars to yield after being exposed to humidity or moisture. Moreover, it has `been noted that where the ends of the panels vare secured to the sides of the freight cars, the arrangement suggested helps prevent the sides of the freight car from being pulled towards each other where, as here, a horizontal brace 49 to oppose this may be toe-nailed between the sidesV ofv the door prior to loading the freight car if the car is quite` old or in poor state of repair. The brace carries the strain which should be carried lby the freight car but seldom is when the grain pressure on the closure ,panelsimposes `atension force on the sides of the freight cars at the lowered, and the strip 26 raised to overlap strip 24 with the flap 58 on top of strip 26. The ends of the strips can then be fastened in overlapping relationship.

In this particular embodiment, whether the reinforcing strips 52 and S6 are folded and glued in place or applied as separate units, the lower panel may #be of any height, it being desirable to provide such so that it can be used as a single closure element or as a part of a multiple closure.

In both embodiments the lower member is provided with an additional score line 19 so that the panel therebelow can be fastened with the upper portion used as a liange straight edge, and the upper portion 32a left unfastened until filling of the car has progressed to a certain point. Thereafter, the upper portion is fastened with the strip 26 used as a straightening edge and if no other panel is used the strip 26 can be fastened and supported as though it was the strip 22 either flat or around a board nailed in place, as will shortly be described.

Several ways of handling flanges 24 and 26 of Fig. l are shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5 by making cuts 64, 65, 66 and 67 joining cuts 38, 40, 42 and 44 perpendicularly thereto. This permits flanges 24 and 26 to be folded relatively easily into a double-interlock relationship providing a four-ply rib 72 corresponding to the rib 58 of Fig. 2. This rib is formed by folding the ange 24 intermediate the score line 16 and the lower edge of panel to provide an outer layer 74 and underlying iiap 76 turned ,outwardly and upwardly, and by folding flange 26 intermediate score line 18 and the upper edge of panel 12 to provide a layer 73 adjacent score line 18 and a flap 80 adapted to be received in the fold formed by elements 74 and 76. The flap 76 is in turn nested within the fold formed by elements 78 and 80, so that the rib 72 not only resists bulging directly, but also overcomes tension forces tending to pull upper and lower panel sections 10 and 12 apart.

It will be appreciated that the interlock may be reversed without weakening the structure in any respect. In either case, the overlapping of the interfaces of the folds is sutiicient to maintain the rib 72 against deformation or loosening.

The reinforced construction provided by the intermediate rib overcomes the normal tendency of the grain door to bulge and rip, a thing which would occur if they were to be contacted with a jagged edge of the sliding doors of the storage car.

Referring now to Fig. 5, a third effective and simple embodiment of the invention is provided by overlapping flanges 24 and 26 to a desired extent. The extensions 82 of the rib 84 thus formed are preferably stapled to the post 60 so that grain will not iilter beneath the said extensions and the rib itself has been found to strengthen the door to the extent that original clearances between the grain door and the sliding doors of a railroad car are preserved to a considerable degree.

The lowest flange 28 of the door Iin both embodiments is preferably stapled to the door of the car at right angles to the central portions 32 in snugly abutting relation to the door so as to form a pressure strip which will maintain the atness of the door where pressure from the piled grain outwardly is greatest. A six-inch board 33 can be nailed in place if desired as shown in said application Serial No. 362,729.

Likewise, the upper iiange 22 may be folded tightly upon a cross beam 86 (Figs. 4 and 5) secured by nails 88 or other suitable means to the posts 60, and is stapled thereto along at least its outer iiap 90, it being preferred that scoreline 14 correspond with the upper outer edge of the cross beam to afford a smooth fit, or, the cross member 86 can vbe nailed in place (Fig. 2) above the fold line and the iiange 22 then stapled in place on the inside of the member 86. The arrangement shown in F ig. 2 is the preferred arrangement.

Accordingly, the entire door formed by the panels 10 and 12 will be held tautly and smoothly across the doorway of the storage compartment, since in both installation and use the door is kept in a flat condition.

Referring now to Figs. 6 through l0, the materials from which a relatively rigid yet foldable door may be formed are cardboard or fibre, such as the corrugated paper 92 seen in Fig. 6, preferably 23 to 30 point.

As seen in Fig. 7, a glass reinforcing material known as Sorimtex may lbe employed to strengthen at least one face of the board at 94, and it is preferred that the board be waterproofed, in view of the relatively exposed location of the door in a railrad car.

Fig. 8 shows the use of glass reinforcing as an interstitial strengthening layer between standard iibroid covers of the type indicated, and as seen in Fig. 9, a heavy, waterproofed board suitable for use in the invention may also be formed where fibre materials are used for the central panel.

A particularly desirable construction is seen in Fig. l0, where double walled cover boards are formed of fibrous material 96 and glass reinforcing material 98 respectively as spaced apart by a central corrugated laminate 100. In essence, this is a double strength board which can yet be provided with the folds and score lines of the invention, and which is especially appropriate to the embodiment of Fig. 3.

Applicant has accordingly provided a grain door having reinforcing flanges adapted to preserve the flat condition of each of the panels thereof during application, and which is reinforced centrally against bowing or warping during use. At the same time, vertical and horizontal reinforcing elements of the invention insure that the flatness of the door will be maintained along the vertical marginal edges thereof to prevent leakage of grain While preventing bunching or gathering along these edges and even distribution of stresses over the door.

While the present invention has been explained and described with reference to certain principles and features, it is to be understood that the principles are susceptible to some variation and it is not intended to be limited by the illustrated examples in the accompanying drawings nor by the language in the foregoing description except as indicated in the hereunto appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination with a storage compartment having an entry port, a pair of rectangular panels having score lines spaced from the upper and lower panel edges respectively to provide flanges maintaining said panels tightly against said port, the lower flange of one of said panels and the upper flange of the other of said panels extending into partially overlapping relation and a flap on the lower flange forming therewith a channel to receive therebetween the other of said flanges, the three plies of the reinforcing strut formed by said flanges and said flap being secured together to prevent bulging of the door formed by said panels.

2. The construction according to claim 1 wherein each of lsaid panels is provided with parallel and equally extending marginal cuts on each side along said score lines to dene vertical reinforcing strips adapted to overlie the panels and be secured thereto, said reinforcing strips cooperating with said flanges and said .three-ply reinforcing strut to maintain said panels in tight engagement with said port under stress imparted thereto by materials stored in said storage compartment.

3. A prefabricated doorway closure comprising a rectangular closure panel of a length suiicient to overlie the side frames of the doorway and having vertically spaced scored lines extending horizontally the length of said closure, said panel having extensions at Ithe ends thereof upon opposite sides of an upper fold line ter minating short of the fold line and being vertically spaced in respect to one another and with respect to said fold lines and being folded back upon the panel and adhered thereto for reinforcement.

4. A prefabricated car doorway closure comprising a pair of rectangular panels of a length suflicient to overlie the side frames of the doorway and having scored horizontally disposed fold lines spaced from the upper edge of the upper panel and from the lower edge of the lower panel to form horizontal flanges along the respective edges, one of said panels having a flange along its other edge overlapping the other edge of the other panel, said panels having end portions between said scored lines folded back upon and adhered to the respective panels for reinforcement, the vertically spaced edges of each extension being spaced from the anges and scored lines adjacent thereto one of said flanges comprising a oor ap and another a top edge flap.

5. A prefabricated doorway closure comprising two rectangular closure panels of heavy material of a length suiicient to overlie the side frames of the doorway, and

having vertically spaced horizontally disposed scored fold lines, the lower panel portion of the upper panel overlapping the upper panel portion of the lower panel, said panels having end por-tions `folded back upon and adhered to the panels to form reinforcing strips of heavy material along the vertical edges of the panels interrupted at vertically spaced edges disposed on opposite sides of the scored lines, and means for securing said overlapping panel portions together.

6. A prefabricated doorway closure comprising two vertically spaced rectangular closure panels of heavy material of sucient length to overlie the side frames of the doorway and having vertically spaced horizontally disposed scored fold lines to form horizontal flanges along their adjacent edges, said llanges overlapping in multi-ply relationship, said panels having end portions folded back upon and adhered tothe panels to form a reinforcing strip along the vertical edges of the panels interrupted at the scored lines and flanges, and means for securing said overlapping flanges together to provide a horizontal reinforcing strut to maintain said panels in tight engagement.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,310,860 Moon Feb. 9, 1943 2,595,087 Leslie Apr. 29, 1952 2,734,567 Ford etal Feb. 14, 1956 

